Roommate Bailed, can I take her to Small Claims?

[vjk0706]

My roommate and I signed a lease three months ago. A month after she invited her boyfriend to come live with us. There was some arguing about that, I wasn't sure I wanted him there, but then decided to try it out. He got added onto our lease (12 months). Since then, he and I have not gotten along. I went through a period where I wanted to move out, but it would be to expensive when I looked into how much it would actually cost, giving that I would of course pay the lease breaking fee so they wouldn't be stuck with a two bedroom apartment. Unfortunately, I told her I was going to leave and upon further investigation, decided I couldn't so the next day, I told her that I had changed my mind. Granted, she was confused and rightly so. Since then I have tried to leave them alone, and I have not been very social, but since I am her supervisor at work, it is important that I keep a professional attitude. A few days ago, she told me that they were going to move out because it was "awkward". She expects me to pay half of the buy out fee, or if I decide I'm am not going to move she thinks she will just leave me with the lease. My question is this, can I take her to small claims if she ditches me with the lease? Thanks a lot. Oh, and this is in Utah.

[budlighthooker]

I would suggest speaking with your leasing office. You would be suprised how many times they have gone through this exact same situation and they may be able to provide you with some assistance.
In Texas though, if your roommate bails on you you are both still liable for the charges. If you should continue to live there then you would responsible for paying the rent and then could take her to court and sue her for her terms of the lease. At least that is what I have seen happen here.

[elklaw]

It sounds like everyone wants to leave, so talk to the leasing office about everyone moving and how that would work if you are not going to be able to find roommates to move in after they move out.
I think this should be able to get resolved without going to small claims court.

[Lissett]

After convincing my husband and mother on getting a three bedroom apartment to help out a friend who was having problems witht her mother and wanted to leave, she ends up leaving us breaking lease. We try to get her of the lease but the manager in the office said for all of us to go together and sign a paper saying that my friend was no longer going to be leaving in the apartment, but we have no way to contact her. She left mad saying unplessant things to us, when all we did was try to help her. After two months of her been gone, her bed, tv and a a table is still sitting in my apartment, she call ans said she coming to pick it up, but nothing jet. My house is no storage room and when she left she was $60.00 dollars shorht on the rent (she was still leaving in the apartment) but after paying her half and been short, thing got a little ugly between me and her, writing nasty letters. She also owes my mother around $600.00 dollars on a cell phone bill, we try to help her with this matter and she never paid the bill and now it got to the point where the cell phone company is going to put my mother on collection. I want to know, how can I get her stuff and her name out of the lease? and can mine mother take her to small claim for the cell phone bill? I know is hard to prove that she was using the cellphone, but I got a letter from her saying that she'll pay the cell phone bill, to stop asking her for that money, that she wont ruin my mother's credit, can my mother use this letter against her without me been present in the courtroom?